Strong House (Coventry, Connecticut) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Strong House
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2382 South St., Coventry, Connecticut |
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| Area | 4 acres (1.6 ha) |
| Built | 1710 |
| NRHP reference No. | 87001906 |
| Added to NRHP | January 15, 1988 |
The Strong House, now called the Strong-Porter Museum, is a cool old house you can visit! It's located at 2382 South Street in Coventry, Connecticut. This house is a 2+1⁄2-story building made of wood. It has five windows across the front and two chimneys inside.
The oldest part of the house was built around 1710. That was very early in the history of Coventry! Many parts of the house still look like they did back then. Because of its history, the house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Today, the Coventry Historical Society owns and runs it as a museum. When you visit, you can see exhibits about local history inside the house. You can also explore the old carpenter shop, a 19th-century outdoor toilet (called a privy), carriage sheds, and a barn.
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Explore the Strong-Porter Museum!
The Strong-Porter Museum is in the southwest part of Coventry. It sits on the north side of South Street. It's right next to the Nathan Hale State Forest and close to the Nathan Hale Homestead, which is another museum.
What Does the House Look Like?
The Strong-Porter Museum is a 2+1⁄2-story house. It has a roof that slopes down on two sides (a "side-gable" roof). There are two chimneys inside the house, and its outside walls are covered with wooden boards called clapboards.
The front of the house has five windows. The main door is almost in the middle. The door itself is wide and has a simple frame around it. You might notice that the windows on the sides are not as wide as you'd expect. There are big empty spaces between the outer windows and the corners of the house.
A Glimpse into History
The inside of the house shows how it was built over time. The oldest part is on the east side of the entrance. In the main room on that side, you can see the wooden beams on the ceiling. There are also wide wooden panels on the lower part of the walls. A special cupboard near the fireplace suggests the chimney used to be much bigger.
The room on the west side of the house has original wood, doors, and hardware. These parts suggest this section was added later, around 1770.
How the House Grew Over Time
The very first part of the house was likely built around 1710. Later, the house was made wider to its current size. A back section was also added, making the house look like a classic saltbox house. A saltbox house has a long, sloping roof in the back, like an old salt container.
The Strong House once belonged to the grandparents of Nathan Hale. Nathan Hale was a famous hero from the American Revolutionary War. His own home is very close by!
Saving History: Early Preservation Efforts
Both the Strong House and Nathan Hale's home were restored in the 1930s. A person named George Dudley Seymour, who loved old things, helped fix them up. These restorations were some of the first efforts in Connecticut to save old colonial buildings. Seymour later gave the Strong House, along with some land that is now part of the state forest, to the state. Now, the local historical society takes care of the house as a museum.
See also
